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Mark Schultz (amateur wrestler)
Mark Philip Schultz (born 1960) is a retired Olympic and World champion freestyle wrestler and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Biography He is the brother of the late Dave Schultz, who also won a Freestyle Wrestling Gold Medal at the 1984 Olympics. The Schultz brothers are the first brothers in U.S. history to win Olympic titles in the same Olympics and are the only brothers in U.S. history to win Olympic and World titles. Between them, the Schultz brothers won more NCAA, World, and Olympic titles than any American brother combination in history. Mark Schultz attended Palo Alto High, coached by Ed Hart. He only started wrestling his junior year in high school and ended that year with a 4-6 record. The next year he didn't win any tournaments until the state qualifying meets where he won the league, region, section, and the state. What a medal can mean to mixed martial artists Mark went to UCLA his freshman year and went 18-8. He transferred to Oklahoma University, redshirted, and spent the next 3 years from 1981 through 1983 winning 3 NCAA Championships. Mark was named the NCAA Outstanding Wrestler his junior year for defeating everyone in his weight class which included NCAA Champion Matt Reiss and 2-time NCAA Champion Ed Banach. Schultz was the NCAA Champion his sophomore year at 167 lbs but moved up a weight to challenge Banach who was on course to become the first man ever to win 4 NCAA titles. Schultz defeated him 16-8. The next year Schultz went undefeated and set the Oklahoma University record for most victories without a loss in a single season. In 1984 Mark and Dave Schultz both won Olympic Gold. Dave Schultz is the only 1984 Olympic Champion to win the 1983 World Championships and Mark is the only 1984 Olympic Champion to win the 1985 World Championships. Mark went on to win another World Championship in 1987 making him the most accomplished wrestler in U.S. history up until that time. Since Mark's retirement from competition John Smith and Bruce Baumgartner surpassed Mark's World and Olympic Gold Medal count. However Mark's 3 NCAA titles and his victory in UFC IX put him in a class by himself as the only wrestler to win 3 NCAA titles, 2 World Titles, Olympic Gold, and a UFC victory. At UFC 9 on May 17, 1996, he defeated Gary Goodridge by TKO. Schultz's record in MMA competition is 1-0-0. However, Sherdog.com lists his record on their website as 1-1-0. Sherdog.com claims that Mark's only match in fake "WWE Style" professional wrestling was real and that it should count against Mark's permanent mixed martial arts record. Japanese professional wrestling promoter Antonio Inoki solicited Mark's skills to perform in a fake pro wrestling match called "Jungle Fight" in Manaus Brazil. Inoki is the only promoter in history to mix real mixed martial arts matches in with fake pro wrestling matches. A confusion occurred during the match and Schultz was forced to tap out after giving his opponent a triangle choke hold. Sherdog has taken the position that since the promoter won't admit this match was fake, it counts as a loss against Schultz's mixed martial arts record. Schultz is considering a lawsuit to set the record straight. In 1996 after UFC IX Mark wrote an autobiography which may be made into a major motion picture. Accomplishments *Ultimate Fighting Champion in UFC IX (MMA Record 1-0-0) *1984 Olympic Champion *1985, 87 World Champion *1981, 82, 83 NCAA Champion *1984, 85, 86, 87 National Open Freestyle Champion *1987 Pan American Games Champion *1982 World Cup Champion *1983, 85, 87 National Sports Festival Champion *1978 California High School State Champion *1976 Northern California Age (14-15) Gymnastic Champion *100th Distinguished member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame *1982 Unanimously voted "Outstanding Wrestler" at the NCAA Championship *1987 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year *1987 Sullivan Award Nominee *1987 Olympic Magazine Sportsman of the Year *1985 Wrestling Masters Magazine "International Wrestler of the Year" *1983 Captain of the University of Oklahoma wrestling team *1983 Set the University of Oklahoma record for most victories in a single season without a loss References External links * Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:American mixed martial artists Category:American sport wrestlers Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States Category:Olympic wrestlers of the United States Category:Palo Alto High School alumni Category:Wrestlers at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Wrestlers at the 1988 Summer Olympics